There are a multitude of tours for the taking in and around Charleston. I’ve participated in a number of them through the years, some with visitors from out of town and others just for my own enjoyment and edification.

People who know me just a little bit quickly realize I’m not a crusader and rarely latch on to causes. It’s just not my style and I’m much more comfortable watching from the wings while offering everyday observations that might produce a smile or a shared memory.

Every Tuesday morning, 92-year-old James Alewine waits on his young friend, 71-year-old Lawrence Clair, to pick him up at his home in Summerville. Every week, these two men make a 30-mile trip to various parts of Dorchester County. They’re not going to the doctor, they’re delivering meals to…

We’re gonna talk about one of God’s little creatures today that continues to torment me. It is an inventive and crafty creature that constantly takes from others, and may even privately laugh at people’s efforts to circumvent his daily, devilish deeds.

When you walk into this 1,000-square-foot shop on Church Street, you immediately notice two things: the smell of coffee and the sound of laughter. That’s not a bad combination, no matter the time of day or day of the week.

She was in the 8th grade and sitting on her aunt's front porch in New Jersey. Using pen and ink, she began to draw a diner across the street. When little Mary was finished, her aunt was sure the owners would want to see it and might even want to buy it. As Mary stayed on the porch, the aunt …

If you’ve lived in the Lowcountry for any amount of time, then you’ve met at least one or two or 20 people from Ohio. I have no idea how many could possibly be left in the Buckeye State, but they sure do like it here.

Kathleen Wilson moved to Charleston in 1987, fresh out of grad school at the age of 24. With her, a car packed with dreams and a very large harp. She would marry, raise a family, serve on City Council and play with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra for 31 years. Tonight, she’ll enter the Sou…

A quick "did you know" fact as we gather for our weekly cup of coffee. In 1902, a business on King Street called Star Vaudeville Theatre was closed. The city fathers decided this particular business was bringing in too many lascivious characters. A successful furniture salesman by the name o…

When’s the last time you thought about visiting the animals at Charles Towne Landing? Many of us took our children there for field trips or maybe used the venue for picnics or family outings. The Animal Forest contains the various wildlife that would have existed when English settlers landed…

On most Sundays, the 45 or so congregants at Faith Lutheran Church on Johns Island recognize the regulars who gather to worship at the little sanctuary on Maybank Highway. A few years ago, a couple of strangers hesitantly stood at the back. Their names were Poney and Annie. Both needed a lit…

Apparently, there’s a movie remake in the works featuring the one-and-only Mary Poppins. According to the ad I saw, the movie is due for a Christmas release. You tell me … if it’s not Julie Andrews, then can it really be Mary Poppins? If the chimney sweep is not Dick Van Dyke, then does it r…

Goose Creek High School’s enrollment hovers around nearly 2,000 this year. The Berkeley County school has a mix of civilian and military families due to its proximity to the Naval Weapons Station and Joint Base Charleston.

Through the years, this column has included my fondness for a variety of different foods. From biscuits to boiled peanuts and from rice with any meal to Moonpies, I’ve not been afraid to reveal that my taste buds have not really evolved. As a matter of fact, they often resemble the food pref…

Just off Exit 187 on Interstate 26, there’s a small community called Pringletown. Most folks wouldn’t consider it a destination. There are a couple country churches, a gas station, a strip mall and a hair salon.

I’ve never owned a brand new car. Every vehicle had already belonged to somebody else. Some were very fast, others were stylish. A few were sporty and some were classy. A couple were gas guzzlers and two or three others were convertibles.

As we watch the Winter Olympics, there’s a new-found appreciation for how quickly we all grew tired of the snow and ice that held the Lowcountry hostage last month. It was beautiful the first day or so, and then we all recognized why we don’t choose to regularly live in that environment.

If all you know about North Charleston’s new police chief is that he’s black and came up through the ranks, you won’t qualify as a credible witness. “Yeah, I am black, but I’ve been black for 52 years,” he says with a chuckle.

This flu season, we’re all — rightfully — sensitive to being around each other. We open doors with our elbows and keep tissues at the ready. Some of us have actually started wearing infection-fighting masks as an extra layer of protection.

A coach is somebody who leads, motivates and teaches. They lead by their actions, motivate with their words and teach through experience. When they step aside, it is usually because they no longer feel they’re effective. That wasn’t what sidelined Tim Touchberry, but he’s found a way to rema…

Merry Christmas! Depending on the ages of people in your house, today may modulate somewhere between ho-ho-ho and ho-hum. I wouldn’t expect that you’d be reading this column before you opened your presents. I’m flattered if that’s the case, but seeing what I have to say should be much farthe…

Since we all seem to sit in traffic every day around here, I can’t help but notice the back end of cars. Inching along our interstates at 7-10 mph provides an opportunity to check out the various bumper stickers that people choose to decorate their vehicles.

As 89-year-old Bill Fesperman leans over the pool table, his eyes squint past the bill of his World War II cap as he pockets the 8-ball. He shakes the hand of his opponent and quietly returns to his stool.

If you’re not texting or emailing or Facebooking these days, then you’ve made a conscious decision to isolate yourself from the rest of the world. In the same breath, I might confess that from time to time it’s refreshing to take a break from all the noise.

We’re gonna hop around to some random thoughts today. We’ve all been dealing with so much serious, heavy subject matter concerning everything from a despicable mass murderer to those who have lost all material possessions thanks to the destructive forces of Mother Nature — it feels like it’s…

It’s been topsy-turvy the last two or three weeks. The weather put most of us in this time zone on alert, and while we dodged catastrophic problems, many others did not. In addition to those atmospheric alterations to many lives, the political climate raised temperatures and consciousness to…

When not driving down the road and looking at your phone, it may surprise you to learn there are so many other things vying for your attention: Billboards, traffic signals, message boards, business signs, church announcements, school fundraisers, restaurant specials ... the list goes on and on.

In September 1989, a day after Hugo, I had a rake in my hands as I stood in my front yard trying to figure out where to start. Music and conversation could be heard from a battery-operated radio on the front steps. The sun was shining and the sky was a bright blue. But hope and happy days se…

I know we’ve all spent the last few days worrying and wondering what this powerful storm might do to us. There are so many unknowns and various joggles or turns that steer such a storm this way or the other it’s virtually impossible to know exactly what’s in store.

As I approach year number seven of my weekly column writing, I’m happy to report that I’ve never missed my slot. For the first couple of years, I didn’t know that I could. There were accommodations made for vacations, but for a weekly column, I wasn’t aware of the rules, so I just kept suppl…

We live in a world where there seems to be as much misinformation as there is truth. At times, it is tough to tell what’s what. We hear terms such as fake news and have come to expect spin doctors to put their interpretation on what we just heard and why we should believe it or dismiss it.

From time to time, people approach me with kind words about something I’ve said in this space or thank me for a shared memory. It’s not my intent to constantly take rides down a highway from yesterday, but it seems that’s where my mind often seems determined to venture.